The invention relates to xerographic process control, and more particularly, to the improvement for measurement of tone reproduction curves by using a patch in the interdocument zone on a photoreceptor.
In copying or printing systems, such as a xerographic copier, laser printer, or ink-jet printer, a common technique for monitoring the quality of prints is to artificially create a "test patch" of a predetermined desired density. The actual density of the printing material (toner or ink) in the test patch can then be optically measured to determine the effectiveness of the printing process in placing this printing material on the print sheet.
In the case of xerographic devices, such as a laser printer, the surface that is typically of most interest in determining the density of printing material thereon is the charge-retentive surface or photoreceptor, on which the electrostatic latent image is formed and subsequently, developed by causing toner particles to adhere to areas thereof that are charged in a particular way. In such a case, the optical device for determining the density of toner on the test patch, which is often referred to as a "densitometer", is disposed along the path of the photoreceptor, directly downstream of the development of the development unit. There is typically a routine within the operating system of the printer to periodically create test patches of a desired density at predetermined locations on the photoreceptor by deliberately causing the exposure system thereof to charge or discharge as necessary the surface at the location to a predetermined extent.
The test patch is then moved past the developer unit and the toner particles within the developer unit are caused to adhere to the test patch electrostatically. The denser the toner on the test patch, the darker the test patch will appear in optical testing. The developed test patch is moved past a densitometer disposed along the path of the photoreceptor, and the light absorption of the test patch is tested; the more light that is absorbed by the test patch, the denser the toner on the test patch.
In any printing system using test patches for monitoring print quality, a design problem inevitably arises of where to place these test patches, particularly on photoreceptor belts or drums. Xerographic test patches are traditionally printed in the interdocument zones on the photoreceptor. They are used to measure the deposition of toner on paper to measure and control the tone reproduction curve (TRC). Generally each patch is about an inch square that is printed as a uniform solid half tone or background area. This practice enables the sensor to read values on the tone reproduction curve for each test patch.
The process controls which are generally monitored include the developability. Developability is the rate at which development (toner mass/area) takes place. Developability is typically monitored (and thereby controlled) using densitometers (e.g., IRDs) and by measuring toner concentration (TC) in the developer housing. As described above, IRDs measure total developed mass (i.e., on the imaging member), which is a function of developability and electrostatics. Thus, the developability cannot be determined using IRDs alone because the electrostatics of the imaging member also affect the mass of toner deposited on the imaging member by a developer device. TC is measured by directly measuring the percentage of toner in the developer housing (which, as is well known, contains toner and carrier particles). However, the relationship between TC and developability is affected by other variables such as ambient temperature, humidity and the age of the toner. For example, a 3% TC results in different developabilities depending on the variables listed above. Thus, maintaining TC at a predetermined value does not ensure a desired developability.
It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide a new and improved technique for process control, in particular, for establishing a tone reproduction curve. Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features characterizing the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.